


Changes In Time

by This_is_Riri



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Christmas Special, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Love, Married Couple, Mentions of grams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 16:06:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17144852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_is_Riri/pseuds/This_is_Riri
Summary: It's Christmas time at the Salvatore Boarding House, but what's christmas without a little awkwardness and relationship issues.Disclaimer: I own nothing.





	Changes In Time

**Author's Note:**

> I was feeling kinda down cause I can't make it home for Christmas this year so...I wrote this one shot instead.
> 
> Merry Christmas!

Bonnie was hanging another ornament on the tree minding her own business and hoping to go unnoticed when Damon was suddenly next to her.

Sure it was his house and he could do whatever he wanted, but still...she hated when he did that, and it never failed at freaking her out.

"You know Caroline's gonna kill you for rearranging these ornaments right?" He asked and she only smiled, placing another one on the tree like he hadn't said anything because what was Christmas without neurotic Caroline, right?

She really calmed down since high school, but now and again Bonnie felt nostalgic, which is why she was doing this.

"You just don't want me to be happy do you?" He tried again and she actually turned to face him this time and squeezed his left cheek.

"Nope". She popped the 'p' before the kitchen door swung open and Caroline was standing there examining the damage.

"Damon" she said impatiently, "I gave you one job, keep Bonnie away from the tree, it's not that hard!" And Bonnie snorted in amusement before Caroline turned her firey gaze at her.

"And you" she said pointing a finger at her "stop torturing my husband, he's putting a roof over your head".

Oh, that was another thing that changed over the years. Caroline fell in love with Damon for whatever reason... **Damon**! It was five years into their marriage and she was still reeling from that one.

And it's been...weird getting to know this Damon. This Damon that she became friends with and wasn't trying to kill someone every five minutes.

This Damon who wasn't obsessed with Elena.

Needless to say a lot has changed in the ten years since they graduated from high school.

Plus Damon made Caroline happy, which meant she was happy.

She smiled at the sight of Damon walking up to his wife and pulling her into his arms for a kiss, which she evaded, stretching her neck to get her face away from his. "Nope, you don't get a kiss until you fix this mess" she said pointing at the tree behind them and Damon groaned into her neck.

"No, I'll fix it" Bonnie offered like she was doing him a favor, never mind that it was her mess to begin with "You're not freaking out nearly as much as I thought you would anyway so..."

Then she turned around to face the tree again before she saw something that would scar her for life.

She felt Damon standing next to her again and he grabbed an ornament to help her fix the mess she made. It was weird how comfortable she'd gotten around him since she stopped hating him and right now, as they worked silently to fix this tree before dinner, she felt comforted by his presence.

"Hey thanks again for letting me stay here" she said abruptly and he stopped what he was doing to lock eyes with her. "I know you and Caroline would rather have your own space, but-"

"The boarding house can survive three people, Bonnie" he said and they both smiled before his smile turned to the worry she kept seeing on both their faces during the past week and she really didn't want to talk about it right now.

"I'm fine, Damon".

"I didn't say anything" he said and went back to hanging ornaments.

He wasn't fooling anybody.

"Yeah, but you and your wife have been keeping a close eye on me for the past week waiting for me to set fire to something"...preferably your brother's face. That last thought kinda slipped through.

"We're just worried about you" he said and she appreciated it, she did, but she was fine.

"I'm fine".

She hung up another ornament.

They were working in silence again when Damon's phone vibrated in his pocket and she didn't have to guess who it was.

Her own phone was locked away in the dresser in the guest room she was sleeping in upstairs for this very reason.

"Hey" Damon spoke into the receiver and she turned to face him, the gruff tone of his voice getting her attention.

That's another thing that's changed, somewhere along the way Damon became really protective of her, even from his own brother, it seemed.

"She doesn't want to talk to you, Stefan" he said and for the first time in her life she wished for nothing more than to have vampire hearing. She didn't want to talk to him, but at the same time she wanted to hear what he had to say for himself, and it was starting to slowly drive her crazy.

"You'll see her tonight anyway so you can try and plead your case then, goodbye brother".

Well fuck...she forgot he was coming tonight. Five days of sucessfully avoiding him only to have it ruined by one dinner, because it was Christmas and even Stefan deserved to be with his brother at christmas.

"You know, the offer still stands" he said with his signature smirk plastered all over his face...he was enjoying this too much. Probably because saint Stefan wasn't so much a saint, but rather a lying cheating bastard!

But she was getting worked up again, she promised herself she wouldn't do that so instead she shook her head, "You're not banning your brother from Christmas dinner. I'll be fine- no...I am fine. Now let's get this done before Caroline comes back out here and kills us both".

* * *

They were busy setting the table when the knock on the front door caught her attention and she looked across the table at Damon.

Crap! She was so not ready for this. She thought she was, but clearly not. Then she started to wonder if she'd even be able to make it through dinner without burning him alive.

"Easy, little witch" Damon said reading the anger in her eyes. "You keep doing this and I'll go get the door".

"No". She stopped him before he could get very far. "I'll get the door".

When he didn't argue with her she went to the door and when she opened it she found exactly who she expected to...except he wasn't alone.

The look of betrayal must've been clear in her eyes, just like it had been that night she first caught them together and she took a step back before he could touch her.

"Bonnie, this isn't what it look-"

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes". She steeled her posture and looked them both in the eye, mentally reminding herself to keep breathing normally and keep her heartbeat even. "Please, make yourselves at home". Then she turned around and marched up the stairs before he could say anything else.

She slammed the door to her room and spelled it with a sealing spell so they wouldn't hear her from downstairs. She slid down against it and let herself cry for the first time in a week, since she found them kissing on their couch. In their home.

What was funny is that she knew this would happened, she knew it and yet she fell anyway. Because as much as things changed...some things stayed the same.

"Bonnie".

She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice and wiped the tears pooling in her eyes. He couldn't hear her, but she could hear him and he knew she was in there.

He slid down against the door on the other side and leaned his head against it.

How did things get so bad? They were fine a week ago, they were happy and Stefan was at peace. Today would mark their first christmas together as more than just friends, it would mark a year since he finally got what he wanted...her, and now everything was crumbling around them and he didn't know how to fix it. She wouldn't let him even try.

He suddenly heard the door click open and scrambled to his feet.

She stood there looking at him until he got to his feet and he seemed to let out a relieved sigh when he looked at her because he hadn't looked at her for a week and he was tired because he hadn't slept since she left.

"Merry Christmas" he whispered when she didn't say anything and presented the gift he'd gotten her. The small box she just stared at now and wanted nothing to do with.

"You should save that for Elena" she mumbled, still looking at it before she tried to brush past him only she couldn't because he was suddenly holding onto her right arm and she could feel his breath on her neck when he pulled her closer. She shivered, and seriously needed to put some distance between them so she could think.

She made the mistake of looking into his eyes and it felt like he was closer than he was before.

"This is for you" he said softly. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the sincerity in his eyes and she didn't stop him when he brushed the back of his hand  against her cheek. She also didn't stop him when he leaned in closer after pointing at the mistletoe that was hanging above their heads she was sure Caroline had put up there and he was slowly closing the small gap between them...

"Bonnie?"

Then suddenly Elena was standing in the hallway looking between them, and she felt like someone dropped ice cold water over her head.

She pulled herself from his arms and took a step back.

"Caroline said to come get you guys. Dinner's ready" she said and Bonnie brushed past her and down the stairs without looking at either of them.

* * *

Grams once told her that the best thing about Christmas were the people, family more especially, because you could feel the love in the air. Even in the midst of all the family drama, you could still feel the love.

But when she saw Elena take the last seat next to Stefan she swore she couldn't feel anything but hatred and anger.

It sucked being betrayed by your sister.

Especially since Bonnie let her stay with them when she finally came home for Christmas after she left for God knows where after Damon and Caroline's wedding.

Both brothers had gotten over her long before then and visa versa, or so she thought.

But like she said before...some things stay the same.

Anyway, dinner was awkward, but then again she didn't see it getting any less awkward any time soon so she decided to take matters into her own hands to get things moving because between Stefan trying to take her hand every five minutes and Elena thirstily looking at her boyfriend, she had to get out of here asap.

"Why don't we open presents?" She suggested and jumped out of her seat before anyone could object.

They followed soon after and were all sitting on the couch while Bonnie kneeled by the tree trying to find the gift she got Damon and Caroline.

It was two tickets to Italy. They never got a real honeymoon, so she wanted to do this for them.

Caroline cried and hugged her for a good five minutes before handing over the gift she got her.

"Miss cuddles?" She asked with tears in her eyes. "But I thought-"

"I buried her in the woods when we were kids. Damon helped me dig her up and we got her looking good as new...I'm so sorry, Bonnie"

"No, no Care there's nothing to be sorry for" she said already shaking her head with tears running down her face as she hugged her sister.

And she finally felt the love her grams was talking about.

When she was a kid this bear made her feel like there was nothing she couldn't overcome, especially after her mom left.

She liked the reminder.

"Merry Christmas, Care" she said softly as she got up off the couch.

"Merry Christmas, Bonnie".

She looked down at Caroline with a warm smile before chancing a glance at Stefan sitting on the opposite couch with his gift for her on his lap. He was already looking at her, he'd been looking at her the entire time, with his eyes following her wherever she went, but she couldn't look at him for too long. Not without crying anyway so she looked down at Caroline again.

"I'm gonna go get these dishes clean, okay?" She said and Caroline nodded before Bonnie walked to the kitchen, where she could be alone.

Or atleast she thought so.

Stefan walked in a moment later and she could see the gift in his hand, which he placed on the counter that was separating them and slid it closer to her.

"Listen, Bonnie, I could stand here and tell you that Elena kissed me after telling me that she still had feelings for me and that I didn't feel anything. A part of me thought I would, but it's funny what time can do huh?" He said and chuckled a bit. "But you wouldn't believe me even though I was telling you the truth".

"I don't believe you" she said looking up from the gift. "You can't not have felt something you loved her for years, even when she didn't love you back".

"Bonnie that was ten years ago"

"And yet she's still coming between us!" she snapped, and clung onto the sides of the counter to keep herself grounded.

She heard him sigh and locked eyes with him again.

"You have to let go of the past, Bonne. You're not living in Elena's shadow anymore".

Then why did she feel like she still was?

"I love you, Bonnie Bennett, you're my family and I want to be with you forever. So you have a decision to make" he said. It was hard to talk to Bonnie when she was in her own head like this so he'd leave, but he was coming back tomorrow. And all other tomorrows after that until she believed him.

She saw the determination in his eyes and stood frozen in place as he walked closer to her. She closed her eyes when she felt his lips touch her forehead and she clung onto the front of his shirt. Then his lips were traveling down, kissing every inch of her face until they eventually found her lips.

He kissed her slowly, carefully opening her mouth and she let him kiss her deeper.

It was amazing how much could be said in just one kiss and she had to hold onto him so she wouldn't fall.

He pulled away too soon and wiped the tears from her eyes, then he was gone.

* * *

"Why are you here?" She asked after Elena opened the door to her motel room. It was the middle of the night and she had to drive for a bit to get here, but she didn't care. She refused to wake up thinking about this tomorrow.

"Bonnie...". She tried to reach for her hand, but Bonnie backed away.

"No I really want to know, tell me".

"I wanted to see you guys, to spend time with my family, to-"

"To get Stefan to tell you he loves you".

"That's not fair, what happened between Stefan and I-"

"Was a one time thing. We're not pawns in your little game anymore, Elena. Things have changed" she said.

"What Stefan and I had was special, Bonnie. He'll always love me" she said and Bonnie couldn't dispute that. She'd seen it first hand...but Stefan was right, time was a funny little bitch.

"Maybe, but he doesn't love you the way you want him too. Not anymore, but you already knew that. That's why he didn't kiss you back".

Elena stiffened slightly before looking unbothered, but she wasn't fooling anyone.

And Bonnie got the confirmation she needed.

"This is for you" Bonnie said abruptly and handed her the gift in her hand. "I didn't know what to get you so I bought socks. I hope they keep you warm" she said as Elena took the box from her.

"I really hope you come back next year so we can try this again, but if you decide not to come it's no skin off my back".

When Elena didn't say anything she nodded, guessing this was probably goodbye for however long she decided to stay away and Bonnie was okay with that.

"Merry Christmas, Elena".

* * *

It wasn't until she was back at the boarding house sitting on her bed with her bags packed and ready to go back home the next morning did she finally open his gift.

It was a locket.

The exact same one her grams owned with her baby picture still inside. It was her grams' favorite piece of jewellery because she said it meant she was close to her heart and she cried right then because she thought she lost it after her grams died.

Then she felt that wave of love again as she laid back on the bed and closed her eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Grams".

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! And in case you missed it up top there, Merry Christmas!


End file.
